Based in Collingwood, we are a boutique creative studio delivering strategic design solutions for clients in the built environment, community, corporate, and hospitality & retail sectors. Our name sits at the core of what we do; our purpose is to design with principle. We are passionate about the power of design to enhance and improve the world we live in, and we are always seeking opportunities to work with our clients to impact positive change. Our mission is to collaborate with change-makers and innovators to build brands, websites, and campaigns that service our clients’ needs and help make a better world.





Our Team
Principle Design is a tight-knit blend of multi-disciplinary creative thinkers, designers, strategists, copywriters, photographers, developers and project managers. Drawing on our collective experience, design and technical expertise, our team takes a collaborative approach to every project.

Sash Fernando
Founder & Creative Director
Sash founded Principle Design in 2008 and has been at the helm, as Creative Director, ever since. He takes pride in the studio’s purpose to design with principle. More recently, he also co-founded Principle of Hospitality, helping to connect the hospitality industry through storytelling. Sash believes that great design cannot happen without passion, knowledge, and persistence — three qualities he possesses in abundance. He continues to be inspired by his formative design experience working under Milton Glaser and Michael Beiruit of Pentagram Design. They instilled within him a deep-seated value for designing with purpose. Sash mixes creativity with design thinking to instil brand confidence for small, medium, and large companies, understanding the different needs for each. Sash is strategy focused and knows how to ask the right questions to grow your business and move your brand forward.

Emma Porter
Design Director
As Design Director, Emma is a strong leader who knows how to get the best out of her team. Her design career began in the late 1990s, cutting her teeth creating websites at the beginning of the dot-com boom, working with clients to bring their brands into the digital realm for the first time. Hailing from an international design background, Emma is equipped with a wealth of knowledge and experience, and her multi-disciplinary design versatility pays testament to this. Her strategic insight is unparalleled and her creativity knows no bounds, in both branding and digital. When the time comes to evolve your business, you want Emma in your corner.

Tish Wiseman
Marketing Executive
Tish works in marketing and sales. Her expertise comes from a deep understanding of target markets, with a focus on marketing strategy and insights. Tish is fine-tuned to her clients’ needs, helping them find answers, including to the questions they didn’t think to ask! Her humanistic approach to relationship building and thoughtful client management has resulted in many strong partnerships at PD, helping to deliver more creative and impactful brands.

Bella Hume
Marketing Coordinator
As Marketing Coordinator, Bella manages internal and external communication initiatives. Her background in social media design and strategy brings an edge to the studio, ensuring efficiently developed, creatively fine-tuned, social media assets that perform in their market. Bella recognises the high demand for frequent social media sharing and accommodates with well-thought out calendars and defined content pillars to effectively optimise algorithms. Her true love lies in the written word, she compliments new brand identities with a clear tone of voice and strong narratives, informed by a deep understanding of specific industry needs. Bella is wise beyond her years, always willing to take on a new challenge, and does so with exuberance.

Thao Mai
Studio Manager
As Studio Manager, Thao acts as an anchor for the team — she ensures that, while our ideas may be high flying, we always remain grounded. She knows the studio like the back of her hand and is across every project, task, and milestone. Thao is the go-to person for schedules, timelines, budgets, and ensures all deadlines are met (and to the highest standards). Having mastered the delicate balancing act of tending to the needs of both staff and clients, Thao makes the lives of everyone who interacts with her a little bit easier, and a little bit brighter.

Norman Barnett
Design Strategist
Norman’s creativity extends beyond design, also covering research, strategy, and intent. His multi-disciplinary background, working with both small and large brands, has given him the breadth of experience to design with the right audience in mind. Although his skills span across mediums, his work in the digital sphere — in both strategy and design — is where he shines brightest. Norman knows how to identify and evolve a brand story worth telling and will always offer inspired solutions.

Sharna Jones
As a Design Strategist, Sharna creates meaningful brand identities that effectively connect businesses to their audiences. Her background in industrial design means she is a pragmatic designer, seeing beyond just the logo and conceptualising brands in all their forms. She sets herself apart in the studio as our motion styling guru, strategising bespoke animations that perpetuate the visual identity of a brand. Working closely with the marketing team, Sharna offers a designer’s eye and communicates her expertise – helping to deliver unique and premium social media services. No matter what is thrown her way, Sharna will always find the best solution, her creativity truly knows no bounds. When she’s not solving design problems, she is drawing or in nature — often with a cold glass of dry white wine in hand.
Awards & Recognition
While we’re honoured to be recognised for excellence in the design industry, it’s the projects that we’re most proud of. Awards are nice but successful design outcomes and happy clients are what brings us the most satisfaction.
2019
Melbourne Design Awards
Silver Winner Digital EdTech
Autism Teaching Institute & Western Autistic School
2017
Melbourne Design Awards
Gold Winner Digital Government Services Design
Architects Registration Board of Victoria
2014
Red Thread idN Magazine
Interview with Sash Fernando
Feature article
2012
AGDA Australian Design Biennale
Winner Three Dimensional Design
Edithvale Wetlands Discovery Centre
2012
AGDA Australian Design Biennale
Winner Identity: Logo, Trademark, Symbol
Eighty Eight Beaconsfield
2011
Qantm Create Awards
Winner Sustainability
Principle Design Studio